Page:A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Louisiana.djvu/111

house is a lake, which abounds with fish in summer, and fowl in the winter.

About six miles above Gillard's is the village of the Boluxa Indians, where the river divides into two branches, forming an island of about fifty miles in length, and three or four in breadth.The right hand stream is called Rigula de Bondieu, on which there are no settlements. On the left hand is the boat channel to Natchitoches, and on this branch, for twenty-four miles, there are thick settlements, and the inhabitants wealthy. This is called the River Cane settlement.

Above this settlement, the river divides again, forming another Island of about thirty miles in length, and three or four in breadth, called Isle Brevel. This Island is subdivided by a bayau which crosses the Island from one river to the other, and is called Bayau Brevel. The middle division of the river is called Little river, and is the boat channel, where there are thick settlements. The westward channel, called False river, is navigable, but the banks being very low, there are no settlements. The river passes through a lake, called Lai Occasse. Above this lake the three channels meet, where Natchitoches is situated. The town is small, and meanly built, containing about forty or fifty houses, inhabited principally by French people.

The fort, which is now called Fort Claiborn, is on a small hill, forty rods from the river, containing about two acres. This hill is wholly oc-